North Sea collision ship owner takes legal action against owner of second vessel

The owners of the container ship that collided with a US tanker in the North Sea earlier this month have filed a legal claim against the owners of the tanker, records show.

Court records indicate that a legal claim was filed at the Admiralty Court on Thursday by “the owners and demise charterers” of the Solong, against “the owners and demise charterers” of the Stena Immaculate.

The case is the latest to be filed at the court in London after the Portuguese-flagged vessel crashed into the anchored tanker Stena Immaculate off the East Yorkshire coast on March 10.

It follows a separate legal claim being filed at the same court on Monday by Stena Bulk Marine Services USA LLC, which owns the Stena Immaculate, and Crowley-Stena Marine Solutions LLC, the maritime company managing the ship, against MS Solong Schiffahrtsgesellschaft MBH & Co KG, a subsidiary of Ernst Russ, which owns the Solong.

No further details about either claim are currently available, with Stena Bulk approached for comment.

In a statement on Thursday, a spokesperson for Ernst Russ said: “As part of the legal proceedings arising from the collision between the Solong and Stena Immaculate, the owners of the Solong have filed a claim in the Admiralty Court in London.

“This is usual process for large maritime casualties and represents another step in working toward the conclusion of this tragic incident.

“Meanwhile, Ernst Russ continues to offer all necessary assistance in support of the ongoing investigations.”

Rescuers saved 36 people from both ships following the collision, with one sailor from the Solong, named as Filipino national Mark Angelo Pernia, 38, missing and presumed dead.

The Solong’s captain, Vladimir Motin, 59, of St Petersburg, Russia, appeared at the Old Bailey on March 21, charged with gross negligence manslaughter and is due to face trial in January next year.

A previous court hearing was told that the collision happened at about 9.47am on March 10, at 10.2 nautical miles from the nearest point on the coast.

The Stena Immaculate anchored at the point of the collision at 6.50pm on the previous evening, with the Solong travelling at about 15 knots when it hit the port side of the other vessel.

Stena Bulk said following the incident that 17,515 barrels of jet fuel were lost due to the collision and the subsequent fire, with the Solong still burning a week after the collision before arriving in Aberdeen on Friday.

On Monday, Ernst Russ confirmed that it had set up a fund ahead of any “verified” legal claims against it following the incident.